Dubai: On a bright Sunday afternoon, the Dubai International Stadium was buzzing with activity for the India-Pakistan match. Although this cricket rivalry between the two countries has less history than the men’s game, it did draw a crowd.
To be exact, a crowd of 15,935 cheered both teams on. There was also a special group of players. They are the hosts, but on Sunday the UAE women’s cricket team players were also among the most excited spectators there.
“It was a great experience,” UAE spinner Vaishnav Mahesh said daily after the match. “It’s great to see such a big crowd for the women’s game at a neutral venue. Ever since Asha (Joy) Dee joined the national team, I have been watching her bowling closely. But I watched it carefully today. I wanted to absorb as much as I could while watching it today,” she added.
When cricketers in the audience were asked about the most memorable moments of the match, they said those two moments were the most important. Richa Ghosh’s diving catch dismissed the opposition captain and soon after, Fatima took two wickets over the over to turn the tide for Pakistan.
Subha Srinivasan, UAE’s regular team manager, is with the Indian team as liaison officer and the team couldn’t be prouder of one of their own. After the match, when the Indian team was on the bus, this group of players was there to cheer Srinivas.